Bath utility

ABSTRACT

A bath utility made from a plastic mesh tube. The bath utility is a spongy body having multiple stacked folds. The folds of the bath utility partially or totally have continuous fine wave or saw tooth configurations. Accordingly, the bath utility has a rougher surface for providing better rubbing effect for a user&#39;s skin. In addition, the bath utility has higher density and better rigidity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a bath utility made from a plasticmesh tube. The bath utility is a spongy body having multiple stackedfolds. The folds of the bath utility are more rigid and rougher so as toprovide better rubbing effect for a user's skin.

A bath utility such as a bath ball or bath brush is made from a plasticmesh tube. The plastic mesh tube is extended to a certain extent andcrimped to form a spongy bath ball or bath brush. U.S. Pat. No.5,709,434 of this applicant discloses a method of making a bath utilitymade from a mesh tube.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional mesh tube 10. The conventional mesh tube isalso shown as the lower article of photograph A and left article ofphotograph B. Such mesh tube 10 is quite soft and has smooth surface. Inaddition, such mesh tube 10 has a thin thickness so that the bath ballor bath brush made from such mesh tube 10 can hardly provide rubbingeffect for a user's skin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a bathutility made from a plastic mesh tube. The bath utility is a spongy bodyhaving multiple stacked folds. The folds of the bath utility havecontinuous fine wave or saw tooth configurations so that the bathutility has higher density, better rigidity and rougher surface toprovide better rubbing effect for a user's skin.

The present invention can be best understood through the followingdescription and accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional mesh tube fitted around aphantom cylinder;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mesh tube applied to the presentinvention fitted around a phantom cylinder;

FIG. 3 shows that the mesh tube of FIG. 2 is looped around two posts ofa tool for manufacturing the bath utility;

FIG. 4 is a view according to FIG. 3, showing that the mesh tube of thepresent invention is tied up with a cord;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a bath ball of the present inventionmade from the mesh tube of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the circled area of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows one of the folds of the bath utility;

FIG. 8 shows that a conventional mesh tube and the mesh tube of thepresent invention are together looped around two posts of a tool andtied with a cord;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another bath ball of the presentinvention made from the mesh tubes of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the bath utility of the presentinvention;

FIG. 11 shows that the mesh tube of FIG. 2 is looped around two posts ofa tool and fixedly tied on a handle;

FIG. 12 shows still another embodiment of the bath utility of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 13 shows still another embodiment of the bath utility of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIG. 2. The bath utility of the present invention ismade from the mesh tube 20 of FIG. 2. The mesh tube 20 is crimped andformed with wave or saw tooth structures 22 arranged along the axis ofthe mesh tube 20. The mesh tube 20 is also shown as the upper article ofphotograph A and right article of photograph B. The mesh tube 20 is suchcrimped that the wave crests of the crimps 22 outward protrude from theouter surface of the mesh tube 20, while the wave troughs of the crimps22 inward protrude from the inner surface of the mesh tube 20. Accordingto the crimped or waved structure, the wall of the mesh tube 20 has athickness thicker than the thickness of the conventional mesh tube.Therefore, the mesh tube 20 has a better rigidity than the rigidity ofthe conventional mesh tube.

Referring to FIG. 3, when manufacturing the bath utility, a mesh tube 20with a certain length is looped around two posts 32 of a tool 30. Themesh tube 20 is tensioned to a certain extent by the two posts 32. Theaxis of the mesh tube 20 is substantially parallel to the posts 32, andthe mesh tube is gathered on the posts.

Referring to FIG. 4, the middle of the mesh tube 20 is tied up with afastening member 35 such as a cord. Then, as the method disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 5,709,434, the mesh tube 20 is part by part alternatelypulled out from the two posts 32. After the mesh tube 20 is totallypulled out, a spongy ball-like bath utility 40 is formed as shown inFIG. 5 and photograph C.

After released from the tensioned state, the mesh tube 20 is curled toform the bath ball 40 with multiple ruffles or folds 42. The folds 42randomly overlap each other as a stack. The folds 42 of such bath ball40 have irregular shapes. The mesh tube 20 has wave or saw toothconfigurations, accordingly, each fold 42 itself has continuous finewave or saw tooth configurations 44 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

Referring to FIG. 8, a conventional mesh tube 10′ and the mesh tube 20of the present invention are together looped around the two posts 32 ofthe tool 30. By means of the method of U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,434, a bathball 50 as shown in FIG. 9 can be made. Such bath ball has a firstsemispherical half 52 and a second semispherical half 55 apparentlyrespectively positioned on two sides of the bath ball 50. The firstsemispherical half 52 is formed of the conventional mesh tube 10′, whilethe second semispherical half 55 is formed of the present mesh tube 20.Photograph D shows a real article of the bath ball 50, and photograph Eis an enlarged photograph of photograph D, in which the greensemispherical half is the first semispherical half 52, while the purplesemispherical half is the second semispherical half 55. Each of thesemispherical halves 52, 55 has multiple stacked ruffles or folds 53, 56overlapping each other. The conventional mesh tube 10′ has thinner wall,while the present mesh tube 20 has thicker wall and larger volume.Therefore, the first semispherical half 52 has lower density, while thesecond semispherical half 55 is more compact. In addition, the folds 53of the first semispherical half 52 are smoother without any waveconfigurations, while the folds 56 of the second semispherical half 55have continuous fine wave or saw tooth configurations 58. The folds 56of the second semispherical half 55 have higher rigidity so that thesurface of the second semispherical half 54 is rougher and more suitablefor rubbing a user's skin.

In the case that the mesh tube 20 of FIG. 2 is totally removed from theposts 32 of the tool 30 at one time, a pumpkin-shaped bath utility 60 asshown in FIG. 10 is obtained. Photograph F shows a real article of thebath ball 60. Such bath ball 60 has folds 62 with regular shapes ofpetals. The folds 62 are radially arranged about the center of the ball.Also, each fold 62 has fine wave configurations.

Referring to FIG. 11, the mesh tube 20 is looped around two posts 32 ofa tool 30. Then, the middle of the mesh tube 20 is fixedly tied on ahandle 75 with one or more fastening members 36 such as a cord or cords.Then, the mesh tube 20 is alternately pulled out from the two posts 32to obtain a bath brush 70 as shown in FIG. 12. The mesh tube 20 becomesa spongy main body 72 fixed on a front face of the handle 75. The folds74 of the main body 72 are randomly stacked without regular shape. Also,each fold 74 has fine wave configurations.

In the case that a conventional mesh tube and the mesh tube of thepresent invention are together looped around the two posts 32 of thetool 30 and fixedly tied on a handle 85, a bath utility 80 as shown inFIG. 13 is obtained. Photograph G shows a real article of the bathutility 80. A spongy first main body 82 and a spongy second main body 84are respectively formed on the front face and back face of the handle85. The first main body 82 is formed of the mesh tube 20 and the folds83 themselves of the main body 82 have fine wave configurations. Thesecond main body 84 is formed of the conventional mesh tube and thefolds 86 of the main body 84 have no wave configurations. In photographG, the blue main body is the first main body 82, while the white mainbody is the second main body 84.

The folds of the bath utility of the present invention have continuousfine wave or saw tooth configurations so that the bath utility hashigher density, better rigidity and rougher surface and is thus moresuitable for rubbing a user's skin in a bath.

The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention,not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many modifications of the aboveembodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the presentinvention.

1. A bath utility made from a plastic mesh tube, the bath utility beinga spongy body having multiple stacked folds, a middle of the bathutility being tied with at least one fastening member; said bath utilitybeing characterized in that the folds of the bath utility at leastpartially have continuous fine wave or saw tooth configurations.
 2. Thebath utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mesh tube that the bathutility made from is crimped and formed with wave or saw toothstructures arranged along an axis of the mesh tube, whereby the wave orsaw tooth structures are in the matter of alternately outward protrudingfrom the outer surface of the mesh tube and inward protruding from theinner surface of the mesh tube.
 3. The bath utility as claimed in claim1, wherein the bath utility is substantially spherical and all the foldsof the bath utility have wave or saw tooth configurations.
 4. The bathutility as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bath utility is substantiallyspherical and includes a first semispherical half and a secondsemispherical half which are arranged side by side, all the folds of thefirst semispherical half having wave or saw tooth configurations, whilethe folds of the second semispherical half having no wave or saw toothconfigurations.
 5. The bath utility as claimed in claim 1, wherein thefolds of the bath utility have regular shapes of petals and are radiallyarranged.
 6. A bath utility comprising: a handle; and a first main bodyfixed on a front face of the handle, the first main body being a spongybody made from a plastic mesh tube, the first main body having multiplestacked folds; said bath utility being characterized in that the foldsof the main body at least partially have continuous fine wave or sawtooth configurations.
 7. The bath utility as claimed in claim 6, whereinthe mesh tube that the main body made from is crimped and formed withwave or saw tooth structures arranged along an axis of the mesh tube,whereby the wave or saw tooth structures are in the matter ofalternately outward protruding from the outer surface of the mesh tubeand inward protruding from the inner surface of the mesh tube.
 8. Thebath utility as claimed in claim 6, wherein all the folds of the firstmain body have wave or saw tooth configurations.
 9. The bath utility asclaimed in claim 6, further comprising a second main body fixed on aback face of the handle, the second main body being a spongy body madefrom a plastic mesh tube, the second main body having multiple stackedfolds.
 10. The bath utility as claimed in claim 9, wherein the folds ofthe second main body at least partially have continuous fine wave or sawtooth configurations.
 11. The bath utility as claimed in claim 10,wherein all the folds of the second main body have wave or saw toothconfigurations.
 12. The bath utility as claimed in claim 9, wherein thefolds of the second main body have no wave or saw tooth configurations.